Crystal tool for watches and like devices



Oct. 20,y 1959 E. c. LEE 2,908,967

CRYSTAL TOOL FOR WATCHES AND LIKE DEVICES Filed April 28. 1958 lo 2o Ie I4 FI G .l 2 A 30 I "baaaaaazral l Wei I4 l? 22 nY aolj p I l FIG. 3. lo |4 2o l? 15 ne INVENTOR Il l2 fmor'] C.' Lee,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O CRYSTAL TOOL FOR WATCHES AND LIKE DEVICES Emory C. Lee, Elgin, Ill., assgrror to Elgin National Watch Company, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 28, '1958, Serial N o. 731,354 2 claims. (c1. z921o) This invention relates to a tool for inserting and removing crystals from the cases of watches and like structures.

The structure of a watch includes parts such as a dial and hands, which must be capable of viewing. Present-day structures employ a transparent crystal of glass or plastic; and a so-called bezel `arrangement is provided on the case, with a raised flange to engage the edge of the crystal, and a seat to receive its inward margin. When this bezel is a separate ring which can be screwed or snapped into place on the watch case, the crystal can be removed or seated with a control exercised on the inner surface of the crystal; but with a one-piece case construction this is not feasible.

An object of the present invention is a tool for constricting the periphery of a crystal and effecting its seating in a bezel.

Another object is a tool wherewith the instrument man can inspect engagement of the crystal and the case, and supervise the placement and removal.

A further object is a tool for the stated purpose which includes a part effective for use with crystals of different sizes.

A further object is an embodiment of the invention by provision of parts of transparent material for facilitating placement and removal of the tool.

Another object is the provision of a tool which can be employed for removing a crystal from a watch case or the like, and which will then hold the crystal in condition for easy relocation in position and a shockless replacement in the watch case or the like.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear in the course of the following description and claims, an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a bottom view of a tool according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is an axial section substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing its use with a watch.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the legs of the device.

`In these drawings, an outer holder is of transparent resilient plastic such as methyl methacrylate polymer, and is formed as a split ring having the legs 11, 12 projecting outward at the sides of the split. One end surface of the ring has an inwardly extending ange 13. During employment, when the legs 11, 12 are forced together, the tool is caused to engage a crytsal as set out hereinafter. While this may be done by the operators lingers, it is preferred to employ positive means so that the tool will retain the crystal in condition for replacement. To this end, in the illustrative form, each leg receives a metal stiffening and wear-resisting member 14, 15 of U-shape; and a bolt having a head 16, a threaded shank 17, and a wing nut 18 extends through apertures in the members 14, 15 and the legs 11, 12.

An inner holder 20 of like material is formed as a split ring, being dimensioned to slip into the member 10 when the legs 11, 12 are separated, and to be seated against the flange 13. At its end remote from the flange 13, the holder 2.0 has an internal shoulder 21 surrounded by a conical wall providing a sharp edge 22 at the end surface.

When the tool is to be employed with Watch cases or like devices having a projecting stern, aradial groove 25 is provided on the end face of holder 10 which has the larger bore diameter. Correspondingly a radial groove 26 is provided on the inner holder 20. It will be noted that when these are alined to receive the stem of the case to which a crystal is to be applied or the crystal removed, the splits in holders 10, 20 are located diametrically opposite one another, and that the holders are then conditioned for a regular decrease in diameter while maintaining a circular shape.

The holder 20 may be exchanged for another having its shoulder 21 and wall edge 22 proper to receive a crystal of a different size or shape. In the practice shown, the holder 20 has at its other end face a shoulder 21a and an edge 22a of a different size; so that the single holder, by turning end for end, will receive two different sizes of crystals.

In use, the proper inner holder 20 is inserted in the outer holder 10 while the bolt is loose, that is, while the legs 11, 12 are widely spread. A crystal C, shown in dash lines in Fig. 2 can then be placed against the shoulder 21; and the wing nut 18 is rotated to draw the legs 11, 12 toward one another, therewith reducing the diameter inside the outer ring 10 and likewise reducing the diameter of the edge 22, noting that this pressure and reduction is essentially uniform for the diameters at various angles across the general axis of the tool. Therewith a compression is exerted upon the periphery of the crystal, causing it to become domed as shown in exaggerated form by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The outer edge of the crystal is thereby reduced in diameter until it is less than the internal diameter of the seat 30 of the watch case W, so that the tool and case can be brought together until the crystal lies within the bezel. The wing nut 18 is unscrewed, and the crystal is left in the watch case, which it can tightly lit by its own resiliency of expansion from the dotted line toward the l dashed line position.

A crystal can be removed by engaging the proper expanded edge 22 with a peripheral surface of the crystal, tightening the wing nut 18 until the cr'ystal has been reduced to clearance diameter, and the case separated from the tool, with the crystal held by the tool. The crystal can then be retained in the tool, in its domed form, while the watch movement is being inspected and repaired. Upon re-assembly of the movement in the case, the crystal can then be presented to position wtihin the seat 30 of the watch case, and the nut 18 released so that the crystal is returned to position accurately and without any shock.

The illustrative embodiment is not restricted as to structure or employment, and the invention may obviously be practiced in other ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A tool for applying a crystal to a watch case and like uses, comprising a resilient outer holder in the form of a split ring having outwardly projecting legs adjacent the sides of the split for facilitating the contraction of said ring, and an inner holder in the form of a split ring fitting within said outer holder, said inner holder being reversible in said outer holder and having separate crystal engaging means at its inner surface adjacent each of its two end faces, said crystal engaging means being of different arrangements, said outer holder having an internally projecting flange which provides an annular recess of suicient depth to hold the inner holder, said inner holder being seated on said internally projecting flange to axially position Asaid crystal engaging means relative to said outer holder. Y

y 2. A tool for applying Watch crystals to watch cases and like uses, comprising a. resilient outer holder in the form of a split ring with legs projecting outwardly from along the split for facilitating the contraction of said ring, and a resilient inner holder in the form of a split ring fitting Within said outer holder, said inner holder having crystal engaging means at its inner surface, said outer holder having an internally projecting ange, said by said outer holder will be directly exerted on a Watch crystal engaged by said crystal engaging means,

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Maire J an. 4, 1944 Greco July 7, 1953 

